When and Why should you see an Ophthalmologist

‘Prevention is better than racing to find a cure’ is an old, but apt adage. When it comes to eye care, it becomes all the more important. The need and frequency of visiting an Eye Doctorkeep increasing with age. But, age is not the only factor in determining this.

Now may be the best time to visit an Ophthalmologist if you are:

Facing any difficulty in your vision

Having decreased vision

Having distorted vision

Seeing specks or flashes of light in your vision

Having injury, infection or pain in the eyes

One or both eyes have bulged

Experiencing double vision

Have lost peripheral vision

Eyelids are functioning abnormally

Having excessive tearing or dry eyes

Or similar reasons that are causing discomfort in the eyes.

These are emergency situations and most of these can be avoided. However, vision will deteriorate with time. At the most, you can slow down this deterioration with care and treatment. Ophthalmology plays a very important role here.

Timely visits to your Ophthalmologist for Eye Exams can help you in keeping Eye Diseases at bay. Your Eye Doctor can detectproblems on time and do a course correction. Timely detection of problems is the keyword in eye care. This makes Eye Exams at regular intervals very important.

The Frequency of Eye Exams

Eye exams must start from a very early age and must be taken at regular intervals for one’s whole life. They are important to keep the eyes safe and vision intact. Given below is the tentative breakup of the eye exam schedule for everyone.

Newborns

The First Eye Exam must be conducted within 6 months of birth. This test is important to determine the normal functioning of the eye. Problems related to cornea and lens can get discovered in this exam.

Infants

You should take your child to the Eye Doctor before his/her first birthday for this test. Your Pediatric Ophthalmologistwill assess the general health of your child’s eyes. It is important for treating many types of eye problems early.

Preschoolers

Between 3-5 years you must take your child for a thorough Vision Screening and Visual Acuity Test. These tests will bring to light any problems in focusing on far, middle and near distances. They will also highlight problems like misaligned eyes, lazy eyes, or refractive errors. The good this is that most of these issues can be treated to a great extent at this stage. However, they may become very difficult to treat as the child advances in age.

School Age

A comprehensive eye exam is very important once the child starts going to school. Ideally, this test should be conducted between 5-7 years of age. It will bring out any vision problem or other issues associated with the eyes of the child. If the child has a family history of certain diseases like amblyopia, strabismus, retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts or congenital glaucoma, then also this test becomes very important.

Between Age 19 to 40

Even if unwarranted by some disease or accident, one must get a comprehensive eye exam at an interval of every ten years. This helps in keeping your vision healthy and upright for long in the advancing age.

Between Age 41 to 55

Even if unaffectedness by any other condition, people start facing general problems like farsightedness by this age. Precautions and treatments can help. The vision starts deteriorating rapidly and hence, the need to see the Doctor of Opthalmology also increases. You must visit an Ophthalmologist at least, on an interval of 5 years.

Between Age 56 to 65

In the advancing ages, many vision problems such as cataract, macular degeneration, and glaucoma become dominant. Opthalmology has the best solutions for these issues. Problems like cataract can be treated with Eye Surgery. For other, your Ophthalmologist will advise remedial measures. You must visit a Doctor of Opthalmology more frequently. Consultation at an interval of 3 years at the most is very important.

Over the Age of 65

The need to see an Ophthalmologist increase at this age. Other health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure also influence eye health severely. One must visit an Eye Doctor every 2 years from here onwards.

Your eyes are one of your biggest gifts. All the beauty of this world is accessible through your eyes. Carelessness or delay in treatment can cause irreversible damage to your eyes and scar your visual experience. Regular Eye Checkups can help you in maintaining good vision and keeping problems at bay.

Vision Associates can help you in this feat. With our network of facilities in Toledo and Bowling Green, we can provide you the best eye care. Our team of highly capable and experience Ophthalmologists will be around to help you out. Call us now to book an appointment for your eye checkup.